


Once Upon a Time: Night of the Giant

by Omorocca



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 10:46:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omorocca/pseuds/Omorocca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It happens during the Holiday hiatus... I had a little inspiration for a Christmas story and was foolish enough to end with a cliffhanger... Now I have to do a part two XD</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon a Time: Night of the Giant

Once Upon a Time

 

Fanfiction

Characters © OUAT writers and producers

Only the ‘Night of the Giant’ myth is my creation

 

**“Night of the Giant”**

  

Storybrooke, Maine

 

The snow was slowly falling in the sky and the town’s children were getting restless to go out and play. Most parents had agreed to let them out so they could have some fun and forget the past months. Resettling had been difficult for many, now that the curse was broken and this little moment of childish pleasure would do them good.

 

By the door of the town’s garage, Hansel and Gretel were already making a snowman, while their father, fixing a driving shaft, kept a discreet eye on them. Jefferson walked Grace home from the bus stop and looked at them.

 

“What do you think?”

“Will you help me make it?” she asked.

“Of course. Did you really think I would let you have all the fun?”

 

The girl giggled as they passed the town library and walked home. On the other side of the street, a bit further, Ruby and her grandmother were redecorating the diner with Christmas lights.

 

“Careful, Ruby”, Granny shouted while, on top of the ladder, the young woman was straining to put the last piece of the lights cord.

 

Jefferson watched them and thought it could be an idea to put some decorations in his home. Grace would like this, he was sure. But first, the snowman waited.

 

 

 

Inside the diner, Snow, Charming and Emma were reunited for a calm supper. Now that all this Cora trouble was over with, they could finally spend some family time and catch up with each other’s lives. Henry would meet them later, after dining at Regina’s house. Even though they were still adjusting to this new reality, the family was now capable of being civil with the former queen. Charming had just explained how much Regina had tried to change while Emma and Snow were away, for Henry’s sake, when Granny and Ruby came back inside.

 

“You come back to town and it begins to snow non-stop for three days!” Ruby said to her friend with a cheerful mode.

 

Snow had a laugh, which everyone else joined.

 

“It’s not really my fault you know”, the teacher answered in a light mood.

“So, tell me, Ruby changed the subject, everyone’s back together… again, and Christmas is coming.”

“Really?” Emma asked, surprised.

 

They all stared at her. Of all the residents of Storybrooke, she’s the last anyone would have suspected of being confused about something particular to the Land without magic.

 

“I guess you’ve spent too much time in this frozen town, Ruby teased. You caught the Storybrooke virus!”

“Yeah… so, Christmas!” They all giggled at her embarrassment. “How are we gonna handle this?”

“Well, I wanted to ask you about that.”

“Me?... why?”

“Because you’re not from a frozen town, Granny answered. We’d like to celebrate this moment and take the opportunity to celebrate the breaking of the curse as well, but we’re not sure how. We all have memories of Christmas, but since none of them are real, we never really lived it.”

“And we thought we could ask you to help us throw something.”

“Like a party?” Ruby nodded and Emma looked at her parents, at Granny and back at Ruby. “I don’t think I can help you.”

“Ah, come on!” Ruby used some of her Storybrooke sassiness. “It’ll be fun! You’re the only one here who lived a real Christmas.”

“Actually… no.” They all frowned, not understanding. She explained. “The foster homes I was in weren’t really big on Christmas. I’m as lost as you are, more even. I don’t have the luxury of fake Christmas memories… I’m sorry.”

“Emma!” Snow put an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “Don’t be sorry. None of this is your fault… We’ll figure something out. You’ll see.”

 

Emma smiled shyly. She was sure they would, but she couldn’t say for certain if she was ready for a family Christmas. Maybe a group party wouldn’t feel as awkward.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In his shop, Mr Gold was absentmindedly looking through his inventory, when the door opened, revealing a man he knew only too well.

 

“Mr Nolan. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m here about… Emma.”

 

The pawnbroker frowned, worried.

 

“Is she all right?”

“She is. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m here because… promise me you won’t laugh.”

“Oh, that depends on what you are going to tell me, _dearie_ ” Gold answered with a smile.

“Just… hear me out, all right?”

“Very well.”

 

Charming sighed. He knew he was going to look like a fool; he knew Rumpelstiltskin would tease him about it, but it was for Emma. She was worth risking the imp have a good laugh at his expense.

 

“All right… Christmas is coming, and I learned today that Emma never had a real Christmas celebration.”

“No one in this town did.”

“No, but we remember it. This is a fake but it’s still a good memory. She never had anything resembling a Christmas.”

“This is truly sad. However, I fail to see the connection between this and the reason you are here.”

“The reason is that we’re going to throw her a party. Something great, with family and friends; it’s her first Christmas, it has to make up for what she never had. And I need your help.”

“If you want me to hang decorations, I _will_ laugh at you.”

“No!” Charming smiled at the image. “Tempting, but no… I need you to keep her busy so she doesn’t notice what we’re doing. We want to surprise her.”

“Oh!... why me?”

“You have a way to convince people to do what you want, even when they really don’t want to. If someone can pull it off, it’s you.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin paused for a few seconds… and laughed.

 

“You son of a… You know, you played your part in this. If it weren’t for your curse, I wouldn’t have to make up for all that Emma’s lost. All I’m asking is a simple favour.”

 

The laughter stopped.

 

“This is beautiful, really, to see you as a caring father trying to make the perfect celebration for your daughter.” He actually looked sincere. “You can count on my help, then.”

“… thanks. What’s it going to cost me?”

 

Gold seemed to think of a price but shrugged.

 

“Nothing comes to mind… This one is on me.”

“What?... really?”

“As you said, I played my part in this. Consider it an apology. If I can help you give Emma a good Night of the Giant, then I will.”

 

Charming frowned. Why did Gold talk about the ‘Giant’? He didn’t even seem to realise he had said it. Something was obviously bothering him.

 

“So… why don’t you tell me what you have planned and I’ll dabble with it?”

“Dabble, huh?”

“It’s what I do best”, Gold answered with a smile.

 

 

 

Emma was coming out of the shower when there was a knock on the door.

 

“Mary Margaret?”

 

There was no answer in the apartment and the knocking resumed.

 

“Just a minute!”

 

Quickly, she grabbed a bathrobe, threw it on over her towel to cover herself and went to answer the door.

 

“Oh, it’s you!”

“I’m sorry to disturb you like this, Miss Swan”, Mr Gold said while entering the apartment.

“No, please, she answered sarcastically, just walk in like you own the place.”

“… actually, I do.”

 

Emma sighed and Gold had a little laugh… almost apologetic.

 

“I realise it’s not really the right moment, but I was wondering if I could ask for your help on a personal matter.”

“Last time you asked for my help was to steal a baby. I don’t think…”

“Not to worry. The ‘Ashley’ matter was merely a device for me to get you to owe me a favour.”

“I figured that one out. If you had really wanted that baby, you would have asked Graham, not me.” The pawnbroker smiled and it troubled her for a minute. “So… you’re collecting?”

“One could say that… I need you to do what you do best.”

“Get in trouble because of ‘twisted little imps’?”

“Very amusing. No, I need you to find someone for me. Someone who is not a resident of this town, therefore impossible for me to find on my own.”

“You mean, outside of the town’s limits. Who could possibly be there that you need to find?”

 

Gold stayed silent, obviously uncomfortable. He knew he had to make this request one day, but now that the time had come, he was terrified at the idea of exposing his biggest weakness.

 

“Will you promise me not to speak of this to anyone?… not even your parents?”

“Who are you looking for?” He didn’t answer, staring at her intensely. She nodded. “I promise.”

“Thank you.”

 

He seemed different, almost human.

 

“Who are you looking for, Gold?”

“… my son.”

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside Granny’s diner, at a table, Granny, Ruby, Snow, Charming, and the dwarves, were discussing softly, as if to plot something suspicious, when the door opened and Henry ran in, making everyone jump.

 

“Sorry”, he said, sitting by his grandfather’s side, while his adoptive mother stayed by the entrance.

“What is she doing here?” Leroy asked in a very… grumpy fashion.

“We invited her, Snow answered. If we’re going to do a family Christmas, Henry needs to have his whole family present. That includes Regina.”

 

But the Dwarves weren’t so sure. After she and Rumpelstiltskin had stolen all of the magic discovered in the mines, they weren’t so happy to have her there. The only one who didn’t seem to mind, was Sneezy, still unaware of his real identity and wondering why he had been dragged there.

 

“I don’t know if Emma will like that, Leroy added. It’s her first family Christmas and having dinner with the one who destroyed her family—”

“She’s also saved it recently, Charming intervened. Regina wants to be good for Henry’s sake and I think we should all give her the chance to try, for that same reason.”

 

They all stayed silent and eventually Happy got up and offered his chair to the former queen, who preferred to stand.

 

“All right, Ruby said, so where’s Emma now?”

“I asked Gold to keep her busy”, Charming answered.

“Gold?... Are you sure she’ll even want to talk to him?”

“He assured me he had the perfect plan to keep her occupied. He said and I quote: ‘She won’t even have time to remember the Giant.’ ”

“Oh, my god”, Granny said.

“What Giant?” Henry asked.

“It’s an old story they used to tell to children in our world, the woman explained. It’s… well, a fairytale, very similar to your Christmas Santa story.”

“I remember my mother telling me about the Giant, Charming added. It’s an old legend.”

“If you’re good, Henry, I’ll tell you the story when the Night of the Giant comes” Granny added with a wink.

 

 

 

“Your son?”

 

Emma couldn’t believe it. The man who had made a habit of dealing with people for their firstborns had a son he himself couldn’t find.

 

“You have a son? You, the man who steals people’s children for a living?”

“As improbable as it seems, yes”, Gold answered with a sigh. “And, if I may add, every child I have procured from a deal was given to a proper family where they were loved and cared for. Had their parents bothered to read the contract—”

“Don’t… don’t justify. Just… okay, so your son, he’s not in this town. And I heard no one can get out of the town or they lose their memories again, so… when did he leave?”

“He was never in Storybrooke to begin with, Gold explained. He came to this world using a magic bean, years before I made the curse.”

“And you didn’t follow him?”

“On the contrary, I did. I spent every waking moment trying to find a way to follow him. One day, I found one.”

“The curse.” Her eyes widened as she slowly understood all of it. “That’s why you created the curse?... To find your son?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin didn’t answer. He just grabbed a chair and sat down, his hands playing with his cane.

 

“Why the curse? Couldn’t you use something else?”

“I tried, he confessed. I had found another bean, but it was taken from me by a very despicable person. Then, with some help, I found other items that could transport me to other worlds, but never this one, or not at the right time. The curse was the only way to come here, at a time my son would still be alive.”

“I see…” She still wasn’t convinced. “So, this son of yours came to a world without magic. Why?”

“That’s my fault, really. I had become the Dark One to keep him safe from a war, but the source of this magic changed me, made me a monster.”

“So he ran away?”

“Never!” The pawnbroker was almost aggressive. “My son was brave, Miss Swan. He would never run from danger. He wanted us to come to this world, so I would be human again.”

“But you didn’t go.”

 

He shook his head, a sad look on his face.

 

“Why?”

“That’s personal.”

“Not anymore, Gold. You want me to find your son? I want to know what I’m getting myself into. Why didn’t you come to this world with him, instead of cursing everyone?”

 

He looked at his hands, at his cane, ashamed.

 

“Fear.”

“What?”

“Before I became the Dark One, he explained, I was a crippled man, a coward, at the mercy of everyone and everything. It’s only through this magic that I gained some courage. And when the portal opened, like a tornado, the first real magic I had encountered after I had met with my newfound power…”

“Fear paralyzed you.”

“When I regained my senses, my boy was gone. I’ve been looking for him ever since.”

“How long ago did that happen?”

“… a very long time.”

“Gold!”

“Two-hundred and fifty-six years.” Emma gasped, he had a sorry smile. “Not including the twenty-eight years of the curse, of course.”

 

Emma sat down as well, completely aghast. Two-hundred and fifty-six years of searching for his son.

 

“How did you manage to do that without losing your mind?”

“I was driven… my quest for my son kept me relatively sane. Though I’m certain everyone in this town would testify to the opposite.”

“Well, you have to be at least ‘slightly nuts’ to wreck everyone’s lives like this. Especially, to wreck the life of the person you chose to help you find him: me.”

“I did say I was relatively sane… not completely”, he answered with a smile.

 

Emma smiled back.

 

“You son of a bitch… I’ll go get my laptop. Let’s see what I can find on… what’s his name?”

“Baelfire. His name is Baelfire.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma was now searching through the social services network for people to contact about Rumpelstiltskin’s son. By her side, the worried father watched her work, fascinated by how much information there was on this little piece of technology.

 

“First time seeing a computer?”

“No… there are a few in this town, but I have never needed to use one.”

“Well, Storybrooke doesn’t have a good Internet connection; must be the curse.” She had a glare towards him. “But if… Baelfire left any trace of his stay in this world, this is how I’ll find him.”

“You seem quite confident this machine knows everything.”

“You’d be surprised of the amount of information I can find on the Net… here.”

 

She opened a window and typed her own name. On the first page was an article on how she had an embezzler named Brian arrested for skipping bail. Another link was about another bail case she worked on.

 

“You see? Here, what about…” She typed ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ and the first link showed a Wikipedia article. “The traditional story this world knows about you is with the miller’s daughter.”

“That’s all you know about me?”

“The only story that came through was the gold spinning one… Just like the only story about Regina there is here is the ‘Evil Queen’ part. Nothing about her past. However, none of you has really lived in this world. Your son did. He’ll be easier to find.”

“So you are looking through social services.”

“The files are sealed to the public. Now I can open some, due to my hacking skills, but I think with this case, I have to use a contact, hence all these names here.”

“Social workers?”

“I’ll ask one of them to look through the files for your son.”

 

She was about to make a call, when the door reopened and her parents came in, with a third person.

 

“Hey, Emma.”

 

They had a look for Gold as the woman accompanying them walked towards him.

 

“What are you doing here?” the man asked.

“I read your message, she answered. I thought I should be here to help you find—”

“How very sweet of you.”

 

He put his arms around her and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and kept quiet. Charming approached his daughter.

 

“Are you all right?”

“Of course, I can handle him.”

“I don’t know what you want, Gold, but I hope you behave yourself around my daughter.”

“Are you threatening me, Charming?”

“No need… I brought your love here to keep an eye on you. I’m sure you’ll try to make a good impression.”

 

Mr Gold didn’t answer. Charming grabbed his coat and the keys to the sheriff car.

 

“I’ll be at the station, someone called about a robbery.”

“Call me if you need me?” Emma asked.

“I won’t. The sooner you get rid of this favour you owe him, the better.”

“I’ll come with you then, Snow said. And, Rumpelstiltskin? Be nice.”

“No worries, dearie.”

 

After giving Emma a hug, they both left the apartment again. Emma looked at the door, then at the couple.

 

“That was weird…”

“What do you mean?” Gold asked.

“I don’t know, their behaviour was... never mind.”

 

She looked at the woman by Gold’s side. Another thing the tale never mentioned.

 

“I didn’t know Rumpelstiltskin had a lover.”

“Oh, where are my manners? Emma, this is Belle. Belle, this is the now famous Emma, the child chosen to break my curse.”

“Belle… like Beauty and the Beast?” She looked at Mr Gold. “So that would make you the Beast.”

“I have been called worse”, the man answered with a smile.

 

 

 

At Granny’s, the dwarves were having a beer after a long morning of work. Ruby, after making rounds, went back to them.

 

“Anything else, guys?”

“Oh, thanks. We’re going back to work in a little while”, Happy answered.

“We’re helping the nuns… I mean the fairies, make a little Christmas party in the town square”, Dopey added.

“At midnight, with snacks and fireworks”, Sleepy said with a yawn.

 

Ruby smiled at the idea.

 

“That’s awesome!”

“The whole town’s invited, Grumpy added. They thought it would help everyone ‘reconnect’ or something.”

“You know, I’ll tell Mary Margaret and David about it. This could be the perfect ending to their family gathering.”

 

She grabbed a glass of iced tea and had a toast with the six remembering dwarves. In a corner, Tom Clarke – Sneezy – was having a cup of coffee, still unsure of how to behave around everyone. To him, all of this was insane, but he was willing to cut them some slack. They were very nice to him, after all, like the brothers he never had.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“All right, thanks anyways.”

 

Emma hung up and sighed. By her side, Mr Gold played with the handle of his cane and Belle was preparing some tea for all three of them.

 

“Any luck?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, Emma answered. Without a specific date, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack. Are you sure you have no idea of his age?”

“Like I said, magic here is unpredictable. He could still be fourteen but he could be older.”

“You’ve been stuck here 28 years. That would make him about forty-two. Could he have aged that much?”

“I made sure of the contrary. I wouldn’t let him spend so long a time alone.”

“So, we’re looking for a boy from fourteen to, what, thirty?”

“Pretty much.”

 

Emma sighed again.

 

“And you don’t know which city he’s in either.”

“Only that he’s in this country… I didn’t know much about this world when I made the curse. To know more, I would have needed to visit it first.”

“All right… and you don’t have a picture of him?”

“Only this drawing.” He pulled a painted portrait of his son from his pocket and handed it to Emma. “He was much younger then.”

“All right… I’ll try something.” Then, more for herself, she muttered. “I will really really hate this.”

 

She picked her phone and dialled another number. By her side, Rumpelstiltskin and Belle waited in anguish. When the phone was picked on the other end, Emma put a smile on her face.

 

“Hi, is this Bill Pedersen? Hi… I’m Emma Swan, I don’t know if you remember me… Yeah. No, I’m a small town sheriff now… I know!” Her hand holding the phone trembled. “I’m calling about some of the cases I have here. Apparently, a lot of children left this town to try their luck in big cities and disappeared… Storybrooke, Maine… Yeah. The last sheriff couldn’t find anything, but he didn’t know someone inside social services. I figured you might help me… Ah, come on, Bill! I have some parents here who haven’t heard of their kids in over 20 years.”

“She’s good”, Belle muttered to Rumpelstiltskin.

 

The man didn’t answer, but nodded his head in approval.

 

“I thought you could send me some of your unsolved files and I could compare them with the ones I have here… All right, what about pictures? No files, just their pictures. If a parent recognises their child, I call you back and we figure something out?” She sighed; her old social worker didn’t seem to want to help. “Look, Bill. I’m asking you out of respect, because you were the only one who was kind to me. I could just hack the whole thing out of your computer. I actually care about these people and I’ll help them, no matter what, even if I lose my new job for this…” Still, the man resisted. “I found my parents, Bill. Here in this town. Help me make the same thing happen for other lost kids. Please.”

 

This time, she had him in her pocket. A few minutes after, she hung up with a satisfied smile.

 

“He’ll send me what he’s got. You can start to hope.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and Belle immediately wrapped her arms around him. He answered the hug with a little sob. After almost three hundred years of insane search, he was getting closer to find his boy.

 

 

 

In the town square, things were getting settled slowly and the Mercedes-Benz stopped by the first kiosk. Regina looked at the nuns and Dwarves working and thought it could be something Henry would be interested in. Though he was the only one in town who had had a real Christmas every year, it was the first time with his birth family and the former queen knew there would be awkwardness. Perhaps a more public celebration would diffuse the tension.

 

Back at the diner, she sat at one of the tables and waited for the rest of her ‘family’ to come in. Granny brought her a cup of hot coffee, an excuse to keep an eye on her.

 

“Here, this will warm you up until the others come in.”

“Thank you, Regina answered with all the sincerity she could gather. I saw some decorating being done at the square. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“The Dwarves are already back to work? Well, they’re prepping the square for Christmas Eve. Tomorrow night, everyone is invited to celebrate all together, just like old times, and at midnight, there’ll be fireworks.”

“Really?... Well, that’s a good idea.”

“You actually agree with this?”

“I try to agree with everything I know Henry likes.”

“Smart”, the old woman answered sarcastically.

 

A few minutes later, Henry came in with Mary Margaret and David. And now, finally, Regina could contribute something to this little party they were having. Henry would be proud of her for trying so hard. When she proposed the midnight fireworks, Ruby who already knew about it, kept quiet. She wasn’t going to steal the idea from the woman who had saved her best friend and her daughter’s lives a few days before.

 

“That’s brilliant!” Henry said, before giving his adoptive mother a big smile.

“Do you think this is something you daughter likes?” Regina asked.

“I have no idea, David answered. But every child should once in their lives go out and wait for the Giant to bring them gifts.”

 

Granny laughed and even Regina had a smirk.

 

“Don’t you mean Santa, Gramps?” Henry asked.

“Yes, in a way, you could say the Giant is our Santa.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was now Christmas Eve and the square was ready for the midnight lookout. Whether the Giant or Santa or both would come, people would be there to greet them.

 

At the Sheriff station, Emma and her father made sure everything was dealt with before closing for the afternoon, the woman still oblivious to the party awaiting her. However, she kept looking David’s way, unsure of why he had such a strange behaviour. The very morning, she had asked him what the deal was. He had simply answered that his first Christmas with his family made him nervous. She knew it was the truth… but she knew he was still hiding something else. So was Mary Margaret.

 

“All right, she said. Everything seems normal. I’ll go to the pawnshop to take care of Gold’s problem and I’ll be home a little before dinner.”

“Are you sure you want to work today?” he asked.

“I would have helped with the cooking, but Mary Margaret threw me out of the apartment. I need to keep busy.”

“I’ll go see if I can give a hand.”

“Good luck.”

 

David was about to leave, when Emma stopped him.

 

“Hey, David?... Charming?... Dad?”

“All of the above?”

“Ha! Just so you know, it’s awkward for me too. I’m sure it will be a great Christmas… or as Gold says, a great Night of the Giant, whatever that means.”

 

He didn’t answer but only smiled. His smile gave her comfort.

 

 

 

At Granny’s the nuns and Dwarves were having another pint, to a job well done. Behind the Mother Superior – the Blue Fairy – a young nun looked towards Leroy intensely and he gave her that same stare. Oblivious to the others, he signed to her to meet him outside and left. A few seconds later, she left as well.

 

“Leroy?”

“Right here, sister”, he answered with a smile.

 

They drew closer and stared at each other, unsure of what to talk about.

 

“So… how have you been since the curse broke?” she asked.

“Keeping it together… trying to get Snow White and her daughter home.”

“Of course…”

“Look, Astrid—I mean, Nova… I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“For how we parted… before the curse, I mean. I pushed you away because I thought we weren’t supposed to be together. Dwarves aren’t designed to fall in love. I thought loving you was just a dream; that it would pass.”

“And… did it pass?”

“No, he confessed. I don’t know why I fell in love with you. It’s against my nature… but it happened. I loved you then and I still do.”

“I still love you too, Dreamy.”

“It’s Grumpy now… or Leroy. I became Grumpy when I lost you.”

“That’s sad.”

 

She took his hands in hers and gave him the kindest smile.

 

“So… do you want to be Dreamy again?”

“I’d like to try, if you’re up to it.”

 

She walked closer and took him in her arms to put a shy kiss on his cheek. Only then, they realised they were being watched. From the other side of the street, Belle had witnessed the lovers’ reunion and gave Leroy a happy smile. He answered the smile and held his love a little tighter.

 

 

 

The little bell rang when Emma entered the shop and again when the door closed. Yet the shop remained empty.

 

“Gold?”

 

No answer. She walked through the shop and to the curtains leading to the owner’s office. There he was, sitting at his desk with a glass of Scotch, looking slightly off. He raised his head when she came in and his face lit up as he stood up to greet her.

 

“Miss Swan! How lovely to see you today.”

“Hey, I just dropped by to show you the first batch of pictures Bill sent me.”

“Wonderful! Please, have a seat.” He showed her a chair in a corner and rummaged in a cupboard behind his desk. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you”, she answered, pulling the chair to the desk and sitting down.

 

He turned around with the glass he’d found.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

He put the glass on the desk nonetheless and sat back down, looking at Emma’s empty hands.

 

“Where are the pictures?”

“Right here, she answered pulling her smartphone. Just press here to slide to the next one. If any of them looks like him…”

“D- don’t worry. I’ll tell you.”

 

She handed him the phone and he looked through the dozen pictures, silently studying each face thoroughly, his hands trembling. Emma waited, looking around at all the treasures there were in this shop.

 

After a few minutes, Mr Gold put the phone down and sighed.

 

“Nothing?”

“No… none of them looks like him.”

 

He put his head in his hands and breathed slowly, trying to rebuild his calm image. She took her phone back and poured herself a shot of Scotch.

 

“Don’t worry. This is the first batch. Bill said he had a lot more.”

 

He didn’t answer, but sighed and took a sip.

 

“I’m sorry, Gold.”

“Don’t be, he answered with a little smile. You are doing all you can and you have given me the best gift someone can dream to have on the Eve of the Giant.”

“What gift?”

“Hope.”

 

She answered his sad smile with a comforting one and raised her glass. He did the same.

 

“To hope” she said.

 

This time, the pawnbroker’s eyes couldn’t help but getting teary.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma walked back to her apartment but waited in the hallway, before entering. This visit had been harder on her than she would have admitted it. As a parent who had lost her child, she understood what Mr Gold was living… at least a part of it.

 

She opened the door and stepped in.

 

“Merry Christmas!”

 

She jumped.

 

Inside, along with her family, were Ruby and Granny and the seven Dwarves. The Blue Fairy was also there with another nun. They all applauded their hero, while Henry ran to her to give one of his famous hugs.

 

“What are you all doing here?” she asked.

“Giving you your first family Christmas, her father answered. The first of many.”

 

She couldn’t believe it. All these people gathered only for her? Her eyes immediately wet with tears and her lips trembled.

 

“Oh, Emma”, Snow said, taking her daughter in her arms.

 

Charming joined in the hug and the four family members stayed like that for a minute.

 

 

 

The evening went well, everyone enjoying good company around Champagne and snacks until around suppertime when the Dwarves and fairies left to start the setting for the midnight celebration. The ‘Charmings’, Ruby and Granny then had a quiet dinner, where Emma and Snow could tell in details what they had been through in the remains of the Enchanted Forest. After that, Charming and Ruby gave them the heads-up on what had happened in Storybrooke while they were away, concentrating on Regina’s efforts to be better. Charming spoke of Daniel’s return and it seemed to sadden Snow, to know that Regina had to live through that. Henry also told all that happened at the well.

 

When Regina joined them for dessert, they greeted her happily, which surprised her. She barely had the time to hand her bags to Snow before Henry gave her an ‘excessive speed’ hug. The hug had its effect on her but she tried not to display it in front of her old enemies.

 

“You brought an apple pie?” Snow asked, picking the plate from the bag.

“Old habits, I guess.”

 

They got settled to eat dessert – Granny had also made brownies – and tried their best to make the evening as less awkward as possible. The exchange of gifts helped.

 

“Here”, Regina handed Henry a box. “I hope you like it.”

 

Henry opened it to discover a leather covered book.

 

“What is it?” he asked with interest.

“This… is your story, Regina answered. I’ve collected pictures and souvenirs of the eleven years you’ve spent with me. I’m trying to make up for lying to you for so long.”

“That’s awesome!” He hugged his mother. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. You know I didn’t work on it alone. Miss Swan helped me a lot.”

“Oh, no, Emma answered. Just with the first chapter.”

“Still… thank you”, the queen said.

 

Henry also gave a hug to his birth mother and sat between both of them, cheered by the gift and by the fact they had worked together on it. He then spent the rest of the evening going through the pictures of his book, stopping only to open another gift and thank his generous family.

 

 

 

Among the gifts was also a necklace Charming gave his daughter.

 

“It’s beautiful, Emma said. Handcrafted?”

“Yes, it used to be my mother’s. One of the few things I kept from her that found their way here. It was in Gold’s shop. My mother was very superstitious and said it had the power to keep safe from darkness.”

 

Emma looked at the jewel’s carvings. Something from her grandmother. With much emotion, she thanked her father just as there was a knock at the door.

 

“Please, come in!” Snow opened the door and greeted her guests as politely as she could. “You’re right on time.”

 

The tick-tock of the cane made Regina twitch and Ruby and Granny had a defensive movement. Rumpelstiltskin and Belle entered.

 

“What is _he_ doing here?” Regina asked.

“We invited him, Snow answered as the pawnbroker helped his love with her coat. He helped a lot with keeping Emma busy so we could make this a surprise and he found Ruth’s necklace to give to her.”

“Remain calm, Your Majesty, Gold said sarcastically. I come bearing gifts.”

 

He handed a bottle to Charming and took off his coat.

 

“Twenty-five year old single malt… wow!”

“Just a little token of appreciation for your invitation.”

 

Ruby put two chairs for her friend and Belle guided Rumpelstiltskin to this spot.

 

“Good evening everyone… Oh! What is this Henry?”

“My moms made it for me” the boy answered, proudly showing off his book.

 

Belle took a big interest in it and Henry showed her some of the stuff in it while Gold pulled two little boxes from his jacket.

 

“This will pale in comparison.”

 

He handed one to Henry and the other to Charming who was very surprised to receive a gift from Mr Gold. In the boxes were two amulets like the one Henry had for his nightmares.

 

“Since Mr Nolan broke the last one, Mr Gold explained with a smile, I decided to make new ones and… ‘upgraded’ them.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean, Henry, is that it will enable you to control this Netherworld but also alter how you perceive it.”

“Alter?”

“The red room will still be there. However, you will see only what you wish to see. Let’s say you and ‘Grandpa’ wish to see a beach instead of an inferno…” He made a very impish move with his hand. “You will spend the night listening to the ocean waves. Your minds will always control what you see until the effects of the curse vanish.”

“That’s brilliant!”

“That is actually very cool, Charming added. Thank you.”

 

Gold answered with a little head nod while Henry slowly gave him a hesitant hug.

 

“Thank you very much.”

“…”

 

Only Belle and Emma could understand why the pawnbroker was speechless.

 

“Wait, Regina asked, what’s your price for this?”

“Well, Henry had already given me a hug worth all magic. As for Mr Nolan—”

“I’m not hugging you.”

 

They all had a laugh.

 

“This is a gift, not a deal. I’m not asking for anything in return; that would be blasphemy on the Eve of the Giant.”

“That’s true”, Granny confirmed.

 

Henry turned to Granny, remembering her promise.

 

“You said you would tell me that story tonight, Granny!”

“Yeah, what’s that Giant stuff?” Emma asked.

“A legend we have back home. That every year, on the same day, all the good children would receive a gift from a Giant who looked after them. Tradition was to go out that night and all gather with bright lanterns to be seen by this Giant who would come by midnight and leave these presents by our front doors. Some old people say that this person once existed and began this tradition in a small village; rumours and hearsay made him a legend over the years… but this theory was never proven. It’s open to belief, just like Santa.”

“Actually, it isn’t, Gold answered. This Giant really existed.”

“Prove it!”

“I will, dearie.” He got more comfortable and began telling the story he knew. “It was before the first Ogre War, which lasted a few generations… I would say it was more than five hundred years before the curse.”

“Are you sure you’re not making this up?”

“I swear on Belle’s love!” The old woman didn’t insist and Gold continued. “Two little girls, twin sisters, were coming back home, from a day of playing in the woods. It was usually a safe spot but that day, they met with Ogres. Needless to say, the poor children ran as fast as their little feet could carry them. The Ogres quickly caught up with them and were about to strike when they were stopped.”

“The Giant?” Henry guessed.

“Precisely. A Giant was following the Ogres, chasing them away from his land, and rushed in to save the girls, risking his own life in the process. After that, he carried them home in his hand, like the most precious of all gifts.”

 

Belle took Gold’s hand, listening to every word of his fairy tale and Henry grabbed a hand from each one of his mothers in his own. Emma and Regina looked at each other in silence and at their son.

 

“They reached the village in a few steps, Rumpelstiltskin continued, and the girls went home, promising the Giant they would meet again, which they did, every day for a whole year. They would spend time together, he would tell them stories of the world he had seen and they would confide in him their secrets, their hopes but also their fears. The Giant always listened in awe, for it was the first time in his life he had friends and didn’t really know how to behave.” He let out a sigh of understanding. “Of course, a secret usually gets discovered in a small town and the residents soon learned about this Giant. They took fear and forbade their children to leave the town’s limits. It did not matter what the little girls said, they were not allowed to leave the house anymore. To have his friends taken from him was painful on the Giant and, in a fit of madness, he entered the village to look for them, screaming their names and breaking everything within his reach simply by being too big for this little town. The fathers were already getting prepared to fight him when the little girls intervened.”

“What did they do?” Henry asked.

“To keep the village safe, they had to send him away. And they did, they convinced him to go, so he could keep them safe. The Giant left the town and walked aimlessly for days before he could rest. In a clearing, he sat down and cried, so much that tears began flooding around him and he soon found himself in a deep lake. A lake rumoured to have curse-breaking properties.”

“Lake Nostos”, Snow gasped.

“Born from the tears of the Giant. His first tears of love.”

“This is terrible, Belle said. He never saw the little girls again?”

“In a way he did. With winter came the twins’ birthday and when they got out to fetch some water at the well, two little handcrafted dolls awaited them by their doorstep. In the middle of the night, the Giant had come to town as silently and as carefully as he could to leave these presents. A tradition he repeated every year until the twins had their own children. He went on to give gifts to these children every year on their mothers’ birthday, just to show them he still loved them no matter what. He did this for four generations of this family and, by then, everyone in town had grown to love the Giant. When he died, all the townsfolk took him to the village to be mourned and buried like one of their own.” Belle wiped the tears from her eyes and Gold himself sighed. “Every Night of the Giant that followed, all the children of the town found gifts waiting for them but never knew how they got there. Nonetheless, everyone would spend the evening outside, with brightly lit lanterns, so the Giant would easily find his way in town, in case he ever returned.”

“That’s a great story, Mr Gold, Henry cheered. Very sad but good too.”

“All great stories are”, Belle answered.

“I never thought it came from a true story, Charming added. I thought it was just a myth… but then, we’re fairy tales, so…”

 

Ruby gave a look to Regina. The timing was perfect for her to give her idea about the fireworks.

 

“Well, she said, the Giant will be there in two hours. Why don’t we go out and see if we can catch him?”

“In this world, it will probably be Santa” Emma answered with stars in her eyes. The idea actually thrilled her. “What do you think, kid?”

“I’d like that!”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later, they were at town hall square with a few dozen people and some kiosks serving snacks, sweets, coffee and hot chocolate.

 

“Wow! This Giant thing is serious business”, Emma noticed.

 

She turned to look at the decorations and bumped into Jefferson who was also looking around, his daughter by his side.

 

“Sorry— you! What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for the Giant, of course”, he answered with sarcasm but also a bit of shyness.

 

Emma was about to say something, strike, punch, but Henry and Grace began chatting and having fun, so the two parents silently consented to be quiet. Regina was coming back with coffee anyways. If Jefferson tried something funny, Emma would have backup.

 

“You did a really good job, Snow told the Blue Fairy. Especially on such short notice.”

“We’re glad so many came. And more are coming every minute.”

 

Nova ran behind her with the Dwarves and she was in slight panic.

 

“The fireworks are all damp”, she said.

“What?”

“We set them too soon, Grumpy explained, it snowed on them and they won’t lit. Do you have any more?”

“No… what are we going to do?”

“I have an idea. Happy, Sneez—uh Tom and Sleepy come with me. We’ll be right back.”

 

And he ran, followed by the three others while the three remaining Dwarves stayed with the fairies. A few minutes later, they had returned.

 

“Fixed it!”

“Really? How?”

“It’s a surprise”, Happy answered.

“The important thing is, we’ll have fireworks”, Grumpy concluded.

 

Nova couldn’t hold her enthusiasm any longer. She jumped in his arms.

 

“You’re my hero!”

“Tell me something I don’t know, sister!”

 

She giggled and kissed him, in front of all the Dwarves, Snow White, her family and even the Blue Fairy.

 

 

 

“What?”

“He’s a friend. I promised him I’d convince you to help.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle with a sigh.

 

“It’s the Night of the Giant, Rumple. The kids will love fireworks.”

“I know… I just hope that Dwarf won’t think he can run to me every time he needs something.”

“Oh, come on! You could use the good publicity.”

 

She had a little grin.

 

“If they could see what I do, the good man inside you, a lot of them would be nicer to you.”

“I don’t mind if they’re not.”

“But Bae might. He wouldn’t want his father to be the Dark One and hated by everyone all over again. Having a few friends in town could help, when we find him.”

 

He sighed and had a soft smile.

 

“You’re right.”

“I know!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Midnight was about to come and there were now at least a hundred people in the square, waiting for the Giant, for Santa or for both to come. A lot of these people brought lanterns, candles or even flashlights, to light the way, like the tradition asked. The children were having a great time playing in all this snow and adults were talking in little groups to keep warm. In the coffee booth, Sleepy had put another pot up with a yawn and Ruby was coming back and forth between groups to fill the cups.

 

The bell of the clock-tower began ringing. One… Two… Three… Everyone turned their lanterns and flashlights on and stared at the night sky. It was empty.

 

Nine… Ten… Eleven… Grumpy had a glare towards Mr Gold who nodded his head. By his side, Belle cuddled to keep warm.

 

Twelve!

 

Fireworks of red and gold began bursting in the night sky. People applauded and cheered. Couples kissed each other and old friends hugged. In a corner, Marco and Archie surrounded a human-size wooden puppet, wrapped in a coat and blankets to keep hidden from people’s eyes.

 

“Dear Giant, Marco said, please make my boy human again. That’s all I ask.”

 

Fireworks continued. Ruby and her grandmother hugged each other. The Dwarves made a group hug and included little Nova in it, welcoming their new ‘sister’. Even Tom Clarke enjoyed the celebration, still not completely sure of what was going on, but willing to play the game his friends were having. The Blue Fairy then took Grumpy and Nova away for a moment and apologized.

 

“I don’t know how it happened, but I believe you were right. You truly are in love. If you wish to be together, I will not be in the way again.”

 

She was sincere but also warned Grumpy.

 

“Take good care of her.”

“Or else?”

“I’ll think of something”, she answered with a little smile.

 

Fireworks continued and then Rumpelstitlskin had an idea. With a twitch of his finger, he sent little red glowing fireflies in the crowd, which flew among the children who tried to catch them. The fireflies then all flew up, gathered and exploded into a multi-coloured firework. The ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaaahs’ multiplied and Belle jumped like a little girl. In their corner, Marco looked down in his hand where Mr Gold’s business card had appeared. He and his son looked at each other and both at Archie.

 

“Let’s hear his price out first and then we can think about it.”

 

August nodded his wooden head and his father smiled. His wish would be granted, whatever the price. He was willing to pay. As for August, he already owed the imp twice; the third time could get tricky.

 

The fireworks show lasted a few more minutes, and then stopped. People applauded their entertainer and Gold nodded his head slightly, unused to this form of appreciation. All his remaining composure vanished when Belle kissed him by surprise to wish him a happy Christmas. His eyes widened like a startled cat’s and some people laughed from seeing this ‘softer’ side.

 

 

 

“So, neither the Giant, nor Santa came tonight”, Charming said while they were packing.

“At least, we had a great evening, his daughter answered. Everything was perfect, thank you very much. All of you, this was the best Christmas ever.”

“We’re happy you enjoyed it, Emma, her mother said. We’ll try to top that next year.”

“Ha!... I’ll be on the watch this time.”

 

All of a sudden, the sky went greenish and shone bright. Something like a tornado came in the square and everyone ran away from it. Emma and her family grabbed Henry and Regina out of the way, terrified of the idea that Cora might be the one coming through. Regina herself had already her hand up, in case she had to throw a spell.

 

The vortex vanished and there, to everyone’s amazement, fear and awe, stood the most impressive guest this town ever thought of having.

 

A Giant.

 

The same one that had helped Emma on top of the Beanstalk. He was standing there, in the middle of the square, his feet filling all the space in front of the town hall. People stared at each other, at this massive miracle: a Giant had come to town on the Night of the Giant. How could any of this be possible? Everyone kept silent.

 

Only Gold dared to talk.

 

“You are late!”

 


End file.
